As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to progress at a rapid pace, we are confronted with both its possibilities and the ethical questions it raises. A recent case has put a spotlight on these concerns, revealing the unsettling reality of AI impersonating dead individuals. This disturbing incident involves the story of Jennifer Ann, a girl tragically murdered in 2006, whose identity was recreated as a chatbot without her family’s permission.
Drew Crecente, Jennifer’s father, made a shocking discovery when he received a Google alert about his daughter. It led him to a chatbot on the platform Character.ai, where he found an AI version of Jennifer Ann using her name and a yearbook photo. This chatbot had already engaged in at least 69 conversations, representing itself as a knowledgeable AI character.
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An advocate for raising awareness about teenage dating violence since his daughter’s death, Drew took immediate action by contacting Character.ai. He requested the removal of the chatbot and demanded an investigation into who had created it. Although the company acknowledged his complaint, they failed to follow up with him directly. However, they did confirm via a tweet from Drew’s brother, Brian, that the chatbot had been taken down for violating their impersonation policy.
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Drew has expressed his frustration over the lack of support for families facing similar issues. He is considering legal action, criticising Character.ai for how they handled this sensitive matter. This incident raises important ethical questions about the ownership of a person’s name and likeness after their death, as highlighted by Vincent Conitzer from the Institute for Ethics in AI at Oxford University.
Founded in 2021 by former Google engineers, Character.ai has grown rapidly, recently securing a $2.7 billion partnership deal with Google. Personally, I believe that incidents like this highlight the urgent need for better regulations and ethical guidelines in AI development.